A view of Bay Street in Nassau. The capital is often filled with cruise ship day-trippers, but the city still has its historic charms.

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Fort Fincastle in Nassau was a defense fort that was used by the British Royal Navy during the Caribbean's pirate days.

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#2 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The secret is out on Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Already a popular beach destination for Europeans, the beach town is now on the American holiday radar as an inexpensive paradise within flight-hopping distance (it's just a two-hour flight from Miami).

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The historic capital of Santa Domingo is a must-do day trip for any first-time visitor to the Dominican Republic. The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor (pictured) dates to 1514.

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#8 Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona beats Madrid for the top city in Spain visited by U.S. travelers, especially 20-somethings on holiday in Europe. The Sagrada Familia (above) is one of the best known buildings by Antoni Gaudi, the godfather of modern Catalonian architecture.

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Las Ramblas slopes through Barcelona from Plaça de Catalunya in the city center all the way to Port Veil on the shore. The tree-shaded sidewalks are lined with shops, cafés, and souvenir kiosks; in the center of the road, street performers entertain the daily parade of tourists.

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Set on the outskirts of the city, Parc Güell is a storybook land of strange stone pavilions designed by Gaudi among the green hills and trees. The park trails meander through the 37 wooded acres with mythical mosaic sculptures and curved terraces that look out over the city. Here, a close up of the mosaic towers.

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The seaside neighborhood of Barceloneta is a perfect spot for an afternoon of wandering the quaint channel streets with a view of the ocean through gaps between tenements. Here, a sculpture by Rebecca Horn towers above sunbathers.

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#7 Montego Bay, Jamaica. The all-inclusive resorts on Montego Bay (and a chance to experience Rastafarian culture) make Jamaica one of the top Caribbean destinations for U.S. travelers.

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Doctor's Cave Beach (pictured) is the most popular beach in Montego Bay and chances are your hotel will be within flip-flop distance.

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Visitors enjoy a walk along Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.

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Rose Hall Great House is one of the oldest plantation estates on the island. The 18th-century Georgian mansion on the hill is a glimpse at Jamaica's colonial past. Beware: The house is said to be haunted by the ghost of Annie Palmer, a voodoo practitioner and wife of the plantation owner, who was murdered in her sleep during the slave uprising of 1830.

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#6 Rome, Italy. From the stone amphitheater of the Colosseum to the Roman Forum, where Caesar once spoke, and the immaculate Vatican City (above), Rome is a living monument to the ancient history of Europe.

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The 21st Century of the Arts museum, designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, is Rome's grand foray into the modern art world. There are two museums here: the MAXXI collection of contemporary art featuring the likes of Maurizio Cattelan, and the MAXXI museum of architecture, dedicated to the art of architectural design and the modern-day wonders of the world

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The former chariot-racing grounds aren't much to look at these days when compared with the other ruins, but the verdant Avertine Hill above Circus Maximus is an amazing lookout perch and great retreat from the tourist hordes.

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#5 Toronto, Canada. The modern city of Toronto straddles the shore of Lake Ontario with its blocky downtown of skyscrapers and needle-nose CN Tower. The fifth largest city in North America, the diverse population creates a vibrant cultural scene with many culinary delights.

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Toronto's 19th-century warehouses and distilleries have new life as a meandering 13-acre complex of vaulted-ceiling restaurants, patio cafés, and art galleries set inside the historic brick buildings.

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The Art Gallery of Ontario museum holds the largest collection of Canadian art in the world, with more than 80,000 works from the first century A.D. to today, including a sculpture center dedicated to the work of Henry Moore. Especially impressive is the new glass-façade by Frank Gehry on Dunda Street West.

(Courtesy of Art Gallery of Ontario)

#4 Paris, France. Millions of U.S. travelers flood the city of Paris every year to walk the romantic cobblestone streets of the Latin Quarter, kiss on the pedestrian bridges over the River Seine, marvel at the Gothic facade of old Notre Dame, or ride the elevator up the elegant iron legs of the Eiffel Tower.

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Rue de la Huchette in the romantic Latin Quarter of Paris.

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Musée du Louvre is by far the most famous museum in Paris (if not in all of Europe), so don't be surprised if you wait for hours to explore the Egyptian collection or for that glimpse of Mona Lisa behind glass. If you tire of the wait, don't distress: the grounds of the Louvre Palace and its adjoining Jardin de Tuileries is one of the most beautiful spots in Paris.

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The Rodin Museum is elegant in its simplicity, especially when compared with the Louvre Palace across the River Seine (entrance, $8). The 18th-century mansion of Hotel Biron holds a collection of Rodin's greatest work inside and out in the estate's gardens where visitors can explore and ponder for a while with The Thinker and other sculptures.

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#3 San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's no wonder San Juan is No. 3 on the most visited list, with millions of ex-pat Puerto Ricans returning home to visit family and friends. One of the most popular stops for visitors is El Morro fort, a beautiful citadel located on the northwest tip of the island.

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Catedral de San Juan Bautista is the second oldest Cathedral in North America. Inside, you'll find the hallowed chambers of stained glass and statues worthy of worship (and the tomb of Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon underneath).

In a paradise like Puerto Rico, where do the locals go to vacation? The answer is the castaway island of Vieques, a 45-minute ferry ride from the port of Farajado on the east coast. The main town of Isabella is quiet and pretty, but the real reason for the trip is the pristine beaches on the south coast (be sure to pack a picnic basket… there are few places to eat nearby the beaches).

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#2 London, England. London certainly hasn't lost its regal charms in the long march to modernity. And because the city is a gateway for further excursions into Europe, millions of travelers spend at least a day or two visiting the historic sites on the red double-decker lorries, attending theatre performances by Britain's greats, and enjoying a cool English pint (or three).

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Commoners can tour Buckingham Palace from July through September (or sneak a peek through the gates any other time of year).

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London's West End neighborhood is the Broadway of England, known affectionately as "Theaterland."

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It was once said that the sun never set on the British Empire, and the British Museum is true to that globe-spanning scope, with a collection that ranges from the armor of William the Conqueror to the 19th- and 20th-century colonial history of British ambitions.

#1 Cancun, Mexico. Cancun remains the No. 1 top destination for U.S. travel abroad, thanks to cheap flights from the States, 14 miles of beaches, and carnival-style nightlife. Isla Mujeres (pictured) is a tiny island off the coast of Cancun. It offers a quiet escape from the madness of the mainland.

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Take a day trip from Cancun to see ruins like those at Tulum and Chichen Itza.

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The rain forest of the Yucatan peninsula creates a unique experience for travelers looking for adventure in the form of sunken cenotes—subterranean rivers and lakes that you can access via rappelling into caverns.